SHILLONG, May 9 - A class V pass militant was in-charge of Garo National Liberation Army�s ledgers, looking after the finance of the terrorist outfit for nine years, which probably runs into crores of rupees in one fiscal.
The class V pass GNLA �Finance Secretary,� Belding Ch Marak alias Rakkam surrendered today. Coincidentally, the results of the Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Class XII) exams (Science and Commerce) were declared, which were conducted by the Meghalaya Board of School Education.
In the result, the district Rakkam hails from � East Garo Hills � fared abysmally. The district�s share out of the total passed in the State was just 0.71 per cent in the Science stream. In Commerce, the share was 2.14 per cent.
Along with Rakkam, other school drop-outs, GNLA�s �Chokpot Area Commander,� Matthew Ch Marak alias Sacheng, �Deputy Area Commanders�, Sengrak M Sangma alias Ranggam and Sengkal Ch Marak alias Kongsil, surrendered before Meghalaya Home Minister Roshan Warjri at the police headquarters here. Eleven other cadres, again drop-outs, joined them.
These figures, however, does not in any way suggest Rakkam and his men can be forgiven of any wrongdoings. Poor education and employment opportunities are just a few factors that may have fuelled militancy in Garo Hills. Many have also joined the outfit to make easy money.
Rakkam claimed he knows nothing about the outfit�s booty amassed over the years through extortions, killings and kidnappings in Garo Hills and elsewhere. The GNLA cadres surrendered with arms and ammunition and brought heaps of extortion notepads.
�I issued the extortion notes to cadres specified by Sohan D Shira (GNLA�s chief). These cadres served the demand notes to people and the money went directly to Sohan,� Rakkam claimed.
When prodded by reporters if he intends to join politics, now that the Government has promised to rehabilitate them with a proper package, he said: �I will become a farmer.� So far, 58 GNLA cadres have surrendered before the police this year. Director General of Police Rajiv Mehta claimed more such surrenders would follow.
